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Mackay's

A stylish boutique hotel with restful rooms and unpretentious food in Durness, the most north-westerly village in mainlaind Britain. It's a wonderfully wild and remote corner of the Scottish Highlands close to Cape Wrath and Balnakeil Beach.

Caroline Shearing,
Caroline Shearing is hotels editor for Telegraph Travel and manages The Hotelegraph team. She also commissions, writes, edits and oversees hotel experts in more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Location

8/10

Situated in the centre of Durness, mainland Britain's most north-westerly village. The surrounding area is Scotland at its most wild and remote and the village is an excellent base from which to explore the towering dunes at nearby Balnakeil Beach, the smooth pink cliffs that back Ceannabeinne Beach, or the splendid isolation of lonely Cape Wrath.

Style & character

8/10

The hotel's flint-walled exterior was constructed almost 150 years ago as a home for Richard Mackay, a local merchant, and his family. Today, Robbie Mackay, Richard's great grandson, and his wife, Fiona, have transformed the interior into a cosy and inviting space. There's a wonderful sense of continuity here.

Service & facilities

7/10

Fiona runs the show with aplomb.

Parking

Wi-Fi

Rooms

7/10

King-size beds, oak floors, and beautifully shot photographs of brooding Highland landscapes make for stylish and restful rooms. Fiona, a graduate of textiles, has an eye for objets d'art, and each of the seven individually-styled rooms is a subtly done showcase of her discerning finds: the tea tray in room seven is particularly covetable. All rooms contain an iPod and an eclectic mix of musical tastes – from Bootsy Collins to Take That – is catered for. However, wardrobe space was limited. Not necessarily a problem for stays of just a night or two, but less convenient for longer periods. The hotel also has two self-catering cottages: Shore Cottage, situated on the shores of Loch Eriboll, and nearby Hill Cottage, which has stirring views of Ben Hope, Scotland's most northerly Munro.

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Food & drink

8/10

The hotel's Peatstacks restaurant serves remarkably good, locally-sourced produce and you might find Kinloch smoked venison, Loch Eriboll langoustines, or beef reared at nearby Thurdistoft Farm on the menu. Sango Bay, with its pyramid-shaped rock formations, is perfectly situated for a post-prandial stroll. Breakfast is continental or full Scottish, and packed lunches can be provided on request.

Value for money

8/10

Excellent value for rooms of this standard.

Access for guests with disabilities?

All bedrooms are on the first floor, so guests must be able to negotiate stairs.